Renting a stripper pole for my birthday in Los Angeles was awesome. The reservation process was mostly painless. The service including the dance pole itself was effortless to get setup. It was a hit and (unexpectedly) an instagram magnet for my guests. Group shots and selfies have not stopped lol.

If you’d like to add this type of head turning operational party furniture (is it furniture? or a party prop?) to dazzle around the grounds of your event, then settle in, follow along and I’ll give you my experience.

The intention of this article is to help anyone looking to rent party equipment or an event space, hopefully save you some time and share some of the do’s & dont’s for reserving a portable stripper pole for your personal event.

Quick background: Almost every year I try to throw a relatively large[r] birthday bash and each and every year I welcome the anxiety at yet another attempt at coming up with something new and creative. I work in the arts, I live in L.A., it’s what we do.

I’ve lived in LA long enough now so I really don’t scan apps like Zillow. Also in the past I’ve been in contact with two local real-estate agents. They will have information for larger estates & venues on-hand on behalf of their clients who are looking to commercially rent out their spaces. And of course the creme de la creme for the private party is to browse through websites like AirBnb. I just start looking for valid rentals in the area that meet my criteria.

Something to warn you about, there have been these changes I’ve noticed. There are new increased restrictions that party & prop vendors (including AirBnB) now have added to their rules and regulations. It seems harder than past years to plan an event as a private person. All of this is to combat unauthorized “pop-up” parties.

From my experience, unless you book through a certified event coordinator to handle the reservation process, many party vendors are requesting personal information such as a copy of your drivers license and a deposit on the items that you are requesting for your event. Also many vendors won’t do AirBnb rentals anymore either– unless it’s through an event professional. Also don’t be suprised if asked to pass along the property owners contact information for verification.

Even though I planned it and had invited friends, ordered catering and stone oven pizza trailer-truck, paid bartenders and security staff, hired the band, the dance floor installation and the DJ; I had to produce certificates of insurance and give references for what I thought was as simple as renting tables and chairs for a wedding (and of course weddings are far more stressful).

After all the legal degal and the clearing of credit cards, deposits and vertified bank checks, the annual event was here and the party was a huge success. The stripper poles were the highlight for sure. 2nd was the mechanical bull (did I mention that?!)

As far as All Star Stages, each portable stripper pole is connected to a decently sized stage (like big enough for a few people to dance on at the same time without falling off) and it lights up. They are steel portable frames that they bring in pieces. The poles are separate, the dance tops are separate too. The stripper stage frames were very sturdy, are weighted down and do not tip over.

Overall, it didn’t look like what it is when they were bringing it in and once it was put together, it looked exactly like it should have. (looked great guys!)

The techs who set up also came back the next morning to take them down. Set-up and clean-up were included with the cost of the service. Pretty cut and dry.

Ok, so reserving a stripper pole requires a little more effort on your part, mostly painless, but believe me it’s worth it (plus once you’re in the system, you’re in).

Use these best practices and a few do’s and dont’s when ordering:

First off, if you’re calling in for a reservation, make sure to allow yourself some time for the order. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes to complete.

Second to note, you are never actually “renting” the portable stripper poles. All Star Stages is a prop service company for the movie industry. All of the delivery, setup and takedown is included. They show up, bring it in, check the ceiling, set it up and light it like a stage crew would for a concert. They “strike” it when your event is over or at the agreed upon time, by breaking it down and of course, cleaning it up. It’s much more like a service such as a plumber.

All Star Stages provides this service in major cities across the U.S.

After spending time with one of the tech guys, we collectively came up on a list of do’s and dont’s when reserving a portable stripper pole.

The Do’s:

1. Have your location address available.

Knowing the exact address of where you are holding your event makes it easier to quote. There is an undisclosed base price for the service. Mileage and logistics are figured in, plus tech wages. When the service area is defined, a quote can be more precise or they will quote you a price-range.

2. Know your ceiling height.

All Star Stages Pro series and Party series portable dance poles are not sectional poles. They are one complete length. The common size pole delivered is 9’4″ for the 5×5′ stages. That is for 9.5 ft high and higher ceilings. If you only have an 8 ft ceiling, they need to know because poles cannot get shorter or longer. And remember the pole does not connect to the ceiling. They are freestanding.

3. Know the “plan” of your event.

What’s your event about? Are you renting an event hall with a DJ coming in? Are you having catering, tables and chairs? Will there be a VIP area? Just a backyard party? Know the plan of your event. Share this plan when reserving. A lot of ideas, extras and potential freebies can be thrown in the mix to add pizzazz.

4. Have a pic of your drivers license.

In many cases you’ll already have experienced needing to pass over your ID when trying to book a photobooth kiosk or reserving a space. For private events, clients should be ready to provide identification when reserving All Star Stages equipment and scheduling a stage tech to their location. Having a screenshot or .jpg handy to text or email is essential!

5. Have the contact info of the venue.

If it’s at your residence, great! You may have to provide a utility bill along w/ identification. If this will be at a different residential location or an event hall (party space or venue), have the contact information available of the manager or person that oversees the property. This helps authenticate the location and is required for insurance purposes.

6. Must be 25 years old for service.

Unfortunately services are not available to those inquiring under 25 years of age.

7. Know your color scheme or motif.

What’s the style and colors for your event? Knowing the look, the attitude and the ambiance to set the mood is helpful when trying to reserve service. Given that the techs have many options, having these details help speed along the process of booking and preparing a truck with the proper items to meet your expectations.

8. Have an estimated start & end time of the event.

The events that are well organized know well beforehand the date and time the event is gonna start and when it will end. States in the U.S. may have different restrictions to end times for events at locations and hall spaces. This information is necessary to properly quote. Some events are a week long. If your location is a residence, request pickup service for the next morning in case you go a little late!

9. Inform of other vendors arriving.

Larger events have many vendors and waitstaff, props and furniture, sometimes plants and flowers and red carpets being rolled out. You might even have a dance floor being installed. Pole techs should setup after other vendors have setup in many cases. There may be smaller or larger service vehicles to navigate. It’s good to keep your techs aware of what to expect when they arrive to setup for your event.

10. Reserve 3 or more days ahead of time.

No one likes a last second phone call but sometimes it happens. If you want the best price and the easiest reservation, it’s important to schedule your delivery well ahead of time. 72 hrs minimum for private parties. This gives ample time for techs to schedule and prepare for your delivery, installation and scheduled breakdown or return pickup!

There’s a few Do’s to prepare you. And it’s fair to say that these are common best-practices that most places which service events require. You should not find it alarming if the company you are looking to do business with requests this type of information. It’s pretty standard for verification, from protecting their products and equipment, both from damage and theft.

Now let’s take a looksy at the things you definitely should not do.

The Dont’s:

1. Don’t waste their time.

Nobody likes a prankster. Even though we all love watching a prank. I get that it’s funny that it is a stripper pole. It’s pretty cool that they might be available in your area for your event. Unless you have sincere questions about an upcoming party, you should probably not call and waste their time. Have an idea, time, date, location and style (see 10 Do’s above). If you do not have all of those together, try to hold off before you phone in for an inquiry.

2. Don’t lie about what you’re doing.

Pretty obvious but let me make it clearer: If you can’t tell the truth of what you’re up to and why you need this thing, don’t bother. Don’t you think they’ve received crazy requests before? Just think of all the music video ideas! They wanna service your idea– just let ’em know what you’re up to. They’re used to it. They’re stripper pole guys! A good rule of thumb, if you have to lie about what you are doing, then you maybe shouldn’t be doing it.

3. Don’t expect same-day service.

Due to on-demand services for production houses, same day service is not available for private event applications including mansion parties with youtube creators & dslr cameras. Private events need to be scheduled through pre-order.

4. Don’t be late to your scheduled delivery.

We’ve all been there rushing around at the last second trying to pick up and apply those final touches. We gotta get in contact w/ the balloon people, find out when the ice-luge is showing up, and where are the candles– who misplaced the candles?! Uggh. Keeping everything in order is rough, good thing All Star does delivery. Stage techs send texts when they depart which is about 45 minutes before their scheduled arrival. You’ve also locked in a delivery window at reservation time. Techs may be on a schedule. If you miss your appointment, you may not be able to get a return for service.

5. Don’t expect to pick up the equipment.

According to All Star Stages, stage and pole pickups are not permitted for insurance purposes at this time. As they grow and develop other products and markets to offer services, currently delivery, setup and pickup is the only option available.

6. Don’t expect service rate negotiation.

The rates are based on their rates not your budget. Although something that appears to be so simple like ordering a bounce house may just have alot more going on behind-the-scenes that we don’t see and what it takes to make that simple thing happen for you. I’m sure price structure is different in different locations and may depend on certain times of the year and applications. Be sure to inquire but anticipate rates to be just that: the rate.

7. Don’t change your payment arrangements.

As with any business offering a service, when you arrange payment, you’ll likely follow through with that arrangement. Payment options currently are paypal, venmo, cashapp, wire/ach, credit card, certified [bank] check, cash. Personal checks are not accepted for private events. Credit cards are paid through your emailed invoice prior. All payments are due at the time of delivery. Stay organized, pay the way you say and pay on time.

8. Don’t request to move it after it’s been set.

Sometimes we just can’t decide on where a better spot would be to put the one item that is gonna garner so much attention at our party and wait– what if we put it over there? — it’s best to ask your tech when he arrives. He may put the frame & pole in an area to give you a look, or offer advice from his expertise, yet once it’s decided upon, built and ready– you should leave it that way.

9. Don’t intentionally damage the product.

This shouldn’t need much explanation. For those unsure, read carefully. This is not your stuff. This is not your equipment. The DJ is not you, his gear is not yours, nor is the stage or riser he’s standing on. This includes any vendor or service, their tools, equipment and gear. Have respect for the equipment, the service, the artists and the time people put in to make this happen for you.

10. Don’t Not Have Fun.

If you don’t have fun and get these memories in (at the very least into your instagram stories), then you’re just letting life pass you by as a smug. Turn that frown upside down and get to kickin’, you got an experience to live! Don’t not have fun. This is what it’s all about!

Finally I wanted to touch on a few other things to consider if you’re gonna have a portable stripper pole at your party.Decor and Lighting

They go the distance and make the difference for the ambience of the event. There are few inexpensive things you can add and maybe an idea or two you didn’t consider.

1. Uplights. Small LED lights that you put in the corners of a room and shoot light “up”. You can use these to uplight pillars inside or outside the front of a house. Add purples or any color you please by using the interface built into the light! Some of the more professional uplights will have 20 hr battery life and can sync with bluetooth and gps. All Star Stages recommends Astera AX5 Triple-Par uplights for large or professional applications. Some of the more consumer type model uplights will be wired that you will need to plug in. If you wanna get something to get the job done and not break the bank, check out this 8 pack of uplights for less than $110. You can also find them in 4 packs. Uplights are a wonderful touch and add to the ambience of your event.

2. A hazer or water-based fog machine can put some attitude in the air. You can get these relatively inexpensive, it just depends on how you wanna go about it. Of course you can pick up a old style oil-based fog machine like this one for less than $35. Although oil-based fogs may cause throat irritation to some guests. Better to be used for an outdoor application than indoors. You could also step up to a more professional, water-based (non-irritation) Hazer machine (better for indoor applications) for under $175 like this one. And if you’re lookin for something in the middle and more compact, I’d check out the DJ Hurricane 1000 w/ Wireless for $110.

3. Prop Money. Another BIG popular item to add to your portable dance pole is prop money. Movie money! The same as used in the film industry. All Star Stages only recommends high quality prop movie money since the majority of the projects are production. This prop money has appeared in numerous features for Warner Bros, Marvel, Paramount studios and more. If you’re gonna have a pole, you gotta make it rain, right? Buy duffel bags of cash. Brief cases. Old looking money, new looking money. So many options. Check out all the prop money you can scoop up.

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And there you have it future pole party friends! My experience with having stripper poles installed for my birthday, how to go about making reservations and a few extra ideas that help to make it one memorable evening to remember.

In conclusion:

If you’re ready to add an experience to your event and your guests, then get all your ducks in a row, get on the phone and make yourself a reservation. Be prepared with a location and address. Know what day, setup times, event kickoff times, length and pickup times preferred. Try to know your ceiling heights. In case of over-the-phone identification, have a pic of your drivers license– ready to send. If you’re renting a venue, have that contact info handy. Let em know what you’re up to, any other vendors or fun stuff you’re planning! And remember, don’t be late to your own space!

Talk to the techs at All Star Stages as they will be more than happy to help you achieve your ideas.

Finally a question for you: What are you gonna do for your Dirty-30 themed bday?!

Cheers!

Brianna M.

*(Note that sections of this article have been edited by All Star Stages staff from the original post to update our private event clients’ service requirements for the year 2020 and forward)